What tempest projects are you working on
 

Here is one of my Pontiac projects. It is a Montana car that is faded, but virtually rust free. It came from a Craigslist ad and we traveled 1800 miles round trip to get it. Being from Iowa, there is no such thing as a rust free car over 10 years of age! Plans are to convert it to a solid rear axle (already have an A body Mopar 8 3/4 rear end), put in a 400 ci engine, 400 turbo trans and leave the body as is and redo the interior to near stock. Going for the nostalgic drag car look. Not restored to new, but new "barn find" condition. Plan is to rebuild the front end and add disk brakes.

What is everyone else working on this summer?

I would like to hear from others who have converted a tempest to a solid rear axle. I know it has been on this forum many times about how to do it and what parts to use, but the question is: "for a street car, what conversion gives the best/safest ride?"

Thanks for any input.

you should be able to do a search,it has been covered many times.I have done 3 of them and found coilovers and ladder bars to be easy and has a good ride.Tom

I 've did two. A 63 coupe and a 61 wagon. Coil overs and ladder bars. Both cars ride as good as my 67 GTO. Doing the rear end in a 63 is not bad. I could unbolt it and put the transaxle back in it. I made my own brackets and have the wilwood brakes. Little Pricey but easily done. The only real work was enlarging the bellhousing area. But I am a sheetmetal worker so just did it at work. Enlarging and centering the drive shaft tunnel is also an easy job. If its a v8 car that helps. Hooker 68 gto headers fit great. Need help give my a hollar.

I did my '63 Tempest myself and I had never done anything like it before. It is actually easier than you might think. The rear uni-body frame rails are setup well to convert to ladder bars and coil overs. My 63 rides as well as my 66 GTO and while racing it is smooth enough to drive with one hand and eat a cheeseburger with the other. :D

I have a spreadsheet of everything that went into my build. If you would like a copy email me at [email protected].

Good luck and have fun, I know I did and am.

I'm restoring an old '63 Tempest race car built probably 30 years ago into a Super Duty reproduction. Got the car out of Arizona. Has homemade ladder bars and big Pontiac posi rear (4.10 or maybe 4.30). Putting a rebuilt '65 421 in it with solid lifter cam with dual 400 CFM carters on an offenhauser intake. Running 3 tube headers with a turbo 400. Will be painted Cameo Ivory.

do you have pics of the old suspension?Might be my old race car.Lemans or tempest?Tom

It is a Lemans. I am keeping the old suspension. just detailing it. It is bulletproof. See pictures. Added picture of car when I bought it. Previous owner must have gotten sideways and car got away from him and hit pole.

Still working on one of my 62's. Its about ready to go to paint. Starting to collect parts for my 61 wagon's resto project & getting the body work done on the backend of my 61 that got rearended a couple of weeks ago! Other than that, not a thing going on!!!

Summer Projects
 

Nice Project 63 Tempest you picked up! I am in the process of wrapping up one long project on my 62 Lemans I have had for almost 30 years. Soon to be starting on another I just aquired to use as a daily driver. This one I am keeping all original, for now.
Gary

Here is mine
 

Here is a few pics of my 63 project. Hopefully someday..............Mike

Very nice.

Just trying to get my '63 Tempest race car back on the track in time for the GTOAA race in Wichita July 3rd. Right now I'm pulling the engine and we plan to check it out, probably upgrade to .904 lifter bore and lifter set and install a new cam to replace the one the broken lifter took out at Pontiac Heaven. Sometimes it seems like it's run a few passes....re-do the engine...run a few passes.....re-do the engine.

Jim

Project
 

I have a 63, with QA1 ladder bar coil-overs, 9 inch rear from 70 Cougar fits perfect, 389 .030 over, Ross pistons, Lunati cam, Edlebrock intake with Edlebrock 750cfm, Muncie 4 speed, power steering, disc brakes, Keisler hydraulic MC, Hedman headers.....every one had input at some point along the way....some great people in this forum. Tom S had some great pics of his conversion. Mine is in final stages of block sanding now after epoxy coat etc. will be painted with in the next week or so. All chrome work done at Nu Chrome, interior will be next winter.

Best of luck with your car!!!!

My 63 Tempest is nearing completion. I am waiting on the package tray from the upholsterer. It is Cameo on blue with a 3 speed manual and the 4 cyl 4 bbl. All original. My 63 Lemans is in progress. Cameo on buckskin, 400 2bbl with AC, PS and PB--stock 2 speed transaxle. This one is going to be my daily. I am going with a different color than Cameo since I do not want two the same.

My 63 Lemans is nearing completion too. It's painted finally and getting the tin work and lexan done next. Will post up some pics when it's done.

hey hooter what did you used for door handles.

I am getting my 1962 4 door tempest back together after not wanting to tear it down as far as I did because I never wanted to go this far. When funds are available I am buying all new rubber for all the windows and I need my interior redone. Pictures to follow once the engine is back in so it sits a little closer to earth. I am keeping the 4 cyl 1 barrel carb set up. My vision for this car is more of a factory custom. I have a new paint job and a set of aftermarket wheels from back in the day. If anyone has a really good '62 grill that they might want to let go of, please let me know. I will trade you mine, which is the best looking one I have ever come accross, and a little cash to sweeten the deal.

I compared them to the ones on my 65 Lemans and they look identical. Wound up buying a new set for a 65. Haven't tried putting them on yet since the cars back at the chassis shop, but pretty sure they will work just fine.

i finally got to a computer where i can see what i am doing instead of using my phone. so after the long awaited unveiling here is my '62 tempest that i have been working on restoring with a touch of my own personal taste. i still have a lot of putting back together to do as well as blacking out wheelwells and the front grill area and interior is the next big expense.

http://gi96.photobucket.com/groups/l...escoupe194.jpg

WOW GUY!!! Lots better than the last time I saw your car!! I allmost bought that car to scrap out as a parts car!! Glad I didnt!! Whats the deal with your grill?? Damaged??

its usable but i figured since i am going through this much trouble why not try polish this turd a bit more.

Damn good lookin 4dr. Love the wheels. The colors look fantastic. Is that after you cut the springs? John

yes its after the springs are cut but no motor in it yet. it drags the oil pan on everything in the road so i need to fix that. i have spaced the engine up a bit with washers but am too afraid to space it too much because i dont want to flex the driveshaft too much. i will find a picture back when it was just grey primer, but i am watching the suns sweep the spurs right now.

here it is with the stock 15" wheels and springs cut

http://gi96.photobucket.com/groups/l...Picture805.jpg

i dont remember it stock height because i cut the springs as soon as i got it home. then i started sanding the car down with 80 grit because the guy i bought it from painted it flat black but mixed a gallon of primer with hardener and filled the gun as needed. so the paint came out already dry. it sat in bare metal for 2 years after i painted it grey primer waiting for body work and color as you see it now. there was not an ounce of filler in this car other than factory lead before i had the body work done. which it still has very minimum plastic filler in it.

Spacing up wont make the shaft any different. SUNS sweep the spurs!!!!!!!!!!!!!

62pest - Love the car! Doing a great job!!

so as long as i dont hit the air cleaner on the hood i am fine? anything to keep that oil pan off the ground. i keep radiator repair putty in my glovebox for those road side emergency stops.

thanks to everyone for the kind words. its deterring to build this car because of all the hot rod guys who ask why waste your time on that car, or why build a 4 door. maybe that is why i am building this car instead of my '50 chevy truck.

There's a lot more 50 chev trucks on the road than 62 Tempest 4 doors!!! Keep at it car looks great. Colors are a fine match!!!!

I agree with Keith, nice color choices. The best thing about these cars, they are very rare. Whether its a 2 or 4 door or a wagon or ragtop, the chances of seeing one at the local cruice is slim. Chevy's are everywhere. Keep at it and keep posting pictures as you progress!

yeah but not many '50 chevy trucks with jag xj6 rear ends and a 427 bbc with a dual carb tunnel ram and the little body mods that i have planned for it riding on 14" supreme wheels. just to let you guys in on a secret of mine i like old '60's wheels. here is an older picture of my garage wall.
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...escoupe002.jpg

this was when i first moved in to my house 2 years ago. since my wheel collection has grown a bit.

Wow I like the wheels towards the bottom left with the black painted inserts, what are they?

62 Tempest Grill on eBay
 

62pest - I came across this grill on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...SS%3AUS%3A1123

That's a lot for a grill in worse shape than mine. I may be able to straighten mine if I need to.

Very nice!!
 

Wow, that is nice!!! I , among the rest of us here, really appreciate the work you have done on your 4-door. really neat!!! I love the color combo and the wheels!!Makes me bummed that my 4-door is too far gone to restore(rusty trunk, roof and floor boards).

However, with the exception of door panels that I have promised Keith already, I have a four-door parts car if you find you need any interior or 4-door goodies off it, let me know.

As far as the oil pan clearance, maybe add a skid plate off of a 4x4? Maybe even a modified oil pan, (?hamburger style?).

Like GaryK and Keith mentioned, you'll get plenty of attention being the oddball anywhere you go. Get you camera ready for all those diving under the rearend to look at the driveline. Haha!!

The lighter color is the new chrysler 300 cool vanilla and the top is a 2009 hhr gold with a .08 micro flake. The painter did an ok job as long as the car is moving, but if it is sitting there are a bunch of flaws and tiger stripes all over the roof. Next step is probally get the paint flaws fixed and keep trying to save for interior. I need a headliner before I can put in windows so I don't need seals yet. The car is fairly complete to the best of my memory. It has been over 3 years since I had it together so I may be wrong.

Thanks again for all the support and kind words. You guys are my motivation to keep going.

Too many projects, too little $$ and time
 

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...ctsf85s018.jpghttp://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...ctsf85s023.jpghttp://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...ctsf85s022.jpg
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...ctsf85s021.jpg Thanks to C5farmer, my wagons broken engine mount is repaired!! It runs and drives, and even stops (how about that stopping part, rare indeed, along with rare torn engine mount bracket, how'd that happen?). When the motor mount bracket broke on the passenger side,yes, the steel one, obviously, the crossover tube snapped off. Nice and loud, almost like keith's glass pack on his '61. lol.

The yellow convertible now has brakes, after resorting to rebuilding the original as the "New Master Cylinder" from Napa failed to build pressure. Bad check valve. 3rd one to have problems. China crap no good!!! It too runs , drives and stops now. Needs tires and she'll be on the road. Paint on the yellow convertible this summer and exhaust on all three others hopefully.

Open to suggestions and ideas of color combo for the wagon. So far, Babyblue to match my convertible, but also considering another metallic red, or even copper, white two tone deal for a more retro look. Hard to see, but gotta love the purple tinted windows on the wagon. Surprised it didn't have the furry dash that Keith's wagon was lucky to come with. haha! Neighbors tossing the thought of 421 or Ls2 conversion. Budget obviously not in mind as much as reality, dreams are nice though.

Don't worry, the electric fuel pump sitting on the engine manifold is only temporary until I get the fuel tank dropped cleaned and reinstalled with the pump mounted in the rear. Running on portable can. I will post pics and how and where when I do the install. The yellow convertible will be first for the pump as the tank is already out on it.

ONE DOWN & ONE TO GO...
 

O.K. 63'
Now that the Lemans has the 462 all set and clearly able to run:D
Lets get that Tempest little 4 banger back together ;)

Besides I know two Old men that say that Lemans don't have nothing for them, so you better stick with the 4 :pound:

61 coupe
 

Painting this for a friend. He wants it done for the 2011 reunion at Norwalk. Says he wants to put a 215v8 in it which he has. I hope he does it.

gary k here is a shot of those wheels before they became wall ornaments. they were made by a company called apache if my memory serves me correctly. i paid $140 for the 2 wheels which i consider a steal. now only if i could find the other 2. best part about them is that they are a 5 on 4 1/2 bolt pattern so if worse comes to worse i could run fender skirts and these on the front.


http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x.../apache001.jpg

62Pest,
Thanks for posting that picture. I really like those wheels. Yeah I would say you stole those! I have never seen them before but will keep an eye out for them at swap meets and eBay. It would be nice to complete that set.

Here is my wife's project car. It is a 4 cylinder automatic with an odometer reading of 42,000 miles. The body is very straight with minimum rust. It needs paint, windshield, truck lid, passenger door glass, and interior. We bought it without a title, but now has a state bonded title and is licensed. It was parked in a basement garage for over 20 years and sold at an estate sale. We bought it from another Pontiac enthusiast north of Chicago.

Plans are to restore it back to near stock condition, with a few heavy duty upgrades. There is a V8 trans axle and suspension, radiator, console shifter, and windshield washer/pump collected and waiting to transplant into it. Probably, some high performance parts for the 4 cylinder, also. The color will remain blue with a blue interior.

Our plans are to have one of the tempests ready for the reunion next year at Norwalk.

Currently up on jack stands while I rebuild the front suspension (ball joint & control arm bushings are original until now). I'll start the punky spot on the rocker after that...

http://s447.photobucket.com/albums/q...tiac%20LeMans/

c5farmer - who did you use to get a title?

Gary K,
I got what is called a "BONDED" title for the state of Iowa. Contact your Department of transportation for info/ application. I Sent them all the VIN and ownership info so they could run it against stolen vehicles, and then waited for a title application form.

Then you have to get a bond for the value of the car(what you paid), submit the application, bill of sale,proof of bond, and wait...wait. I got a call from an inspector that came to my house to look at the car to verify the VIN. He gave me a letter to take to the court house where they issued me a new title and license plates.

The bond cost me $100, but they vary according to the car's value. A long process, but I now have a titled car with license plates on it. Some times you have to put the plates in storage if the car is not in running condition.....depends on the inspector.

I looked into using a classic car title company, but felt a bonded title was safer, and for me, less expensive.

c5farmer - Thanks for the info - I will see if a bonded title is possible in NJ. I bought a MA car without a title. I have a notorized bill of sale from the person I bought it from who was not the original owner. NJ motor vehicles said for me to get an old registration or anything with the vin number on it from MA, which is impossible since the original owner has passed away and NJ would give me a title. As you know the classic car title companies are looking for $400 to $500 for one.

projects
 

How about it? Anyone doing some work on their Tempest/ Lemans this winter?

That's an understatement on my project. Will post some pics as it gets closer to being done....

Heres what i did to my dash, engine bay is a little different, when the chrome is on the outside i'll post more pics.

Our project:

http://people.clemson.edu/~jaander/I...5C100_2655.JPG

http://people.clemson.edu/~jaander/I...5C100_3421.JPG

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...000_0015-1.jpg

Just finished a four barrel conversion, installed new rear wheel bearings and shocks. Took it out today for the first time in 3 or 4 years. :D